The Other Cide of the Gate
by GodivaGoddess33
Summary: Edward and Roy discover a potential military conspiracy against Ishbal and decide to investigate. Edward's knowledge of Germany becomes crucial. Post-anime; Edward ended up in Amestris. Incomplete.
1. Chapter 1: Another World

Three loud knocks on the front door broke Roy's attention from the politics section of his Sunday newspaper. He hesitantly folded the paper and laid it gently on the table before going to the door, but he found himself a pleasant surprise once he laid eyes on his visitor.

"Hey, General."

"Ed, what a nice surprise! Come on in."

Roy reclaimed his old spot on the sofa, and Ed sprawled carelessly in an empty armchair. Roy leaned forward expectantly and asked, "Want some scotch?"

Edward looked at him incredulously. "At three in the afternoon? On a Sunday?"

"Well, I suppose you're right. How about a beer?"

Edward chuckled, eyes twinkling. Finally he raised his hands in mock defeat and said, "Alright, fine. But just one, though."

Roy grabbed a couple cold ones from his fridge and passed one to Edward, who took one sip and stared at the bottle, half-pouting disappointedly. Roy had already turned his up and taken a huge swig before he noticed the look on Edward's face.

"Something wrong with the beer? 'Cause I can always pull out the scotch…"

"No, no," Edward shook his head, smiling. "It's just that the beer in Germany was so much better. The flavor of it was unbelievable."

"Huh."

"What?"

"I never thought my world would be competing with yours."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Please, Mustang, haven't you realized? Our worlds have always clashed."

Roy laughed at that. After taking another good sip, he asked, "So tell me…what's so great about your brew?"

"Oh, man—we have this one amber red Vienna lager that has the most astounding flavor. It's bitter and yet barely sweet; apparently the sweetness comes from some sort of toasted, malted barley. It's one of the Oktoberfest favorites."

"Oktoberfest?"

"Yeah, it's a German holiday. Occurs late September to early October."

"What's the significance?"

"Eh, it's something to do with some royal marriage, but I really just know it as a time to drink as much beer as you can hold!"

"Sounds like my kind of holiday."

"You bet it is! Oh, and the food is to die for!"

"You would know," Roy teased, expecting to toss Edward off-balance for a moment. But Edward just snorted and continued.

"They've got roast pork and pretzels and my favorite…the white sausage. You can't beat it, Mustang; you can't beat it." Roy started to open his mouth to say something, but Edward cut him off. "And you would've loved to see the women who were serving us; they had on cute little German schoolgirl-type outfits or something. I've never seen anything like it."

"Huh…" Roy said again, dazed by Edward's excitement. Then he changed his tone back to his typical seductively teasing voice to question, "So did you land yourself one of those fine girls?"

Edward blushed slightly and for the first time since he'd talked to Roy that day, he was a little breathless when he answered, "Uh…well,_ I_ wasn't really into them, but I thought _you_ might be—or would've been, if you would've been there…"

"You weren't into them? But I thought you said they were cute."

"No," Edward said warily, getting the most peculiar expression on his face. "I said their outfits were cute. But…they would've been your type of women, I think…"

"So what? My type of woman isn't good enough for you?" he joked harmlessly.

"No, that's not it."

Roy wasn't sure what nerve he'd hit, but he could see that he'd made Edward uncomfortable and decided to change the subject. "So what's the political situation like over there?"

Edward happily obliged to follow this line of conversation. "Well, you see, Germany is just this tiny nation in comparison to the rest of that world. But a huge part of that world was engaged in warfare for a long period of time known as World War I. At one point, Germany felt that the up-and-coming nation of power called the United States was going to join forces with France and Britain, who were fighting Germany on its Western front. Germany was also fighting against the largest nation, Russia, on its Eastern front at the same time."

"So, essentially, Germany was at a huge disadvantage."

"Exactly. So could you have blamed Germany for opening up submarine warfare on US trade ships?"

"Hmmm…interesting. I'll bet the United States had quite an opinion about that."

"To say the least. That move of Germany's caused the United States to officially join the war on France and Britain's side."

"But I don't understand; wasn't there some other move for Germany than to attack ships? I mean, that just seems like they were asking for it."

"Well, Germany had a feeling that the US would take a stand no matter what they did, so to avoid having to surrender, Germany decided to attack US trade ships in order to drain US power before it was too late to win back the Western front."

"Ah, I see…interesting military strategy. Did it work?"

"Nope. The US was still able to contribute enough soldiers and supplies to help defeat Germany. Then this League of Nations came together to write up a treaty to make Germany pay unaffordable reparations for the entire world war and limit them to only a hundred thousand troops."

"I assume the League of Nations was the group of nations that defeated Germany?"

"Pretty much. Anyway, Germans were embarrassed about being exploited like that, so they began looking for outlets, a way to get back at everyone. That's about when I got there."

"Dang," Roy shook his head incredulously. "That's quite a mess. But you still found time to party, huh?"

"Oh, did I ever! You see, some influential, pompous mug named Adolf Hitler started talkin' up all the rowdier crowds out there, telling 'em how great Germany is and convincing them that he could lead the nation back to its previous greatness. So everyone was happy and drinking up and feasting like there was no tomorrow; it was heaven for me! I'm just glad I got to leave before that Hitler guy really got something going."

"What was he about to do?"

"Well, it's hard to say. But it was going to be something big. You see, he gave Germany someone to blame the war on, and most everyone believed him."

"And who was that?"

"Jews. Gypsies, too, but mainly Jews. He claimed they were a race of parasites."

"…And Germans believed that?"

Edward nodded sadly. "Yeah. Their loyalty to him was bordering on sickness."

Silence followed. Suddenly Roy could picture a robotic mob following a dark shadow of this Hitler figure he couldn't make out, busting the windows of houses, sending innocent people fleeing, frightened for their lives. He could imagine bloodied corpses strewn about the streets high enough to wade through, clothes ripped and limbs twisted, somewhere in the night a lone baby's shrill cry, helpless to call back its dead mother.

"It would've ended up like the Ishbal Massacre, wouldn't it?" Roy asked.

"Yeah. Well, that's what I think, anyway. I mean, there were the angry mob and their fuehrer—"

"The fuehrer was there?"

"Come to think of it, yes, actually. But he wasn't Pride; he was a Jew named Mabusa. I was referring to Hitler; 'fuehrer' means 'leader' in German."

"Wait a minute, so you saw Pride… or his likeness?"

"Yeah, don't worry; he's harmless. And he's aware of Hitler's dislike of his race, so he'll go to America and be safe."

"Where's America?"

"It's the same thing as the United States."

"Oh," Roy shook his head. "I can't get over that one, though; how'd you react when you saw… uh… Mabusa, was it?" Edward snickered. "What, was I that far off from his name?"

"No, it's not that; you got his name. It's just…" Edward snickered again. "…when I first saw him, I chased him down and beat up his driver! Then I ended up having to drive for him!"

"Edward!" Roy scolded, but that just made him laugh more. Finally Roy's face softened and even let a sly smile slip through. "You just can't keep out of trouble, can you?" Edward shrugged, and Roy rolled his eyes. "Did you see anyone else's likeness?"

"Yeah, I saw Gracia. Hughes, too."

"You saw Hughes?" Roy asked, suddenly disconsolate.

"Hughes' likeness," Edward corrected carefully, wary of trodding on Roy's emotions. "He wasn't the same person at all. In fact, he joined the Nazi party."

"By Nazi—please tell me you don't mean he followed that…that _monster_…" he ground out, burying his face in his palm.

"Roy," Edward leaned forward as though he were going to reach out to comfort him. "It wasn't him, not your friend Hughes. They're two separate people."

Roy lifted the top half of his face from his palm, looking puzzled. Then he broke his distant gaze and turned to look at Edward. "Did you just call me 'Roy'?"

Edward was a little taken aback, not having noticed his error. "I, uh…sorry, sir…"

"No, it's okay; you just surprised me. I'm sorry I got so worked up; I just…I still miss Hughes a lot."

"I do, too. I appreciate him so much more now…" But upon seeing Roy begin to study him, he offered nervously, "But I'm sure I don't miss him as much as you do; I mean, he was your best friend and all, and I only knew him briefly…"

"Ed, you have a right to miss him, too. Anyone who knew him at all misses him now." He took a breath and exhaled loudly. "So how 'bout that scotch?"

"Shoot, maybe I'd better leave before you drown me in it! What are you, obsessed with that stuff?"

"No, no, stay. I won't offer it again," Roy promised, laughing. "Gee, what are you, some kind of saint? Can't handle a glass of sin?"

"No, it's just that I don't know anyone who drinks that stuff before six."

"Hmmm…it's not that I'm an alcoholic; I just like drinking when I'm with people I like."

"What?" Edward pretended to be alarmed, widening his golden eyes in mock horror. "You mean all that work I've done to get you to hate me was all for nothing? Oh," he groaned, pressing his flesh hand against his forehead. "I'm gonna hafta find another job…"

"So now you're leaving the military because I have alcoholic cravings whenever I see you?"

Edward's dramatic façade cracked a bit with a muffled laugh that he attempted to cover up as a cough. "Man, you must've really hated me when I was young; I never once saw a bottle near your office."

"Oh, god, you made me crave liquor more than ever when you were young…but I do believe that was for quite a different reason." Roy winked at him.

Edward hummed contentedly as he abstractedly scanned the label of his beer bottle. "Yeah, I get your drift. I was a real pain then."

"You really have grown up a lot," Roy said meaningfully, causing Edward to look back at him. Edward wasn't sure what he saw in his eyes—genuine recognition, perhaps—but it made him feel warm and a little proud. He remembered that look from the last time he'd seen Roy before he ended up in Germany, when Roy had offered to shake his hand for the first time, and he remembered that look haunting him as a hollow pain when he was in Germany wondering if he'd ever see the other side of the gate again.

"Thanks…it means a lot to hear that."

Roy frowned with realization. "You never really got to hear that much, did you?"

It took Edward a minute to get what Roy meant. "Oh… yeah, I guess not," he said somewhat sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. Suddenly he remembered why he originally stopped by and added, "Oh, General, I just remembered… there was something important I wanted to ask you."

"Sure, ask away."

"Well, uh… it's kind of a favor, I guess, not that you owe me anything, but… I'd feel so much better if you would—"

"Ed, you're rambling," Roy interrupted, slightly amused.

"Uh, okay, sorry… Anyway, I was wondering if you would be willing to keep me as one of your… indispensible subordinates."

"Indispensible? What exactly do you mean?"

"Like Hawkeye… and Havoc, Falman… you know, those guys. The ones you've kept with you for every transfer."

"Oh," he said, understanding. "But haven't I always kept you as my subordinate?"

"Well, I traveled a lot, then. And there was that one time I ran away, but that's not going to happen again. I guess this is more of a promise on my part… that I won't do that again if you promise to keep me with you." Edward was blushing furiously by this point and could only make scattered eye contact with his superior. Eventually he took comfort in hiding behind his bangs.

Roy laughed softly. "What makes that so hard for you to ask?"

"It's just that… uh… I dunno, actually…"

"Alright, that's fine, then. I just kind of don't like the thought of it."

"Oh, well it's not like you have to; I was just wondering if you would…"

"I just don't like the thought of… of… _taming_ you."

First, Edward was alarmed. Then he became irritated, then furious, and finally mischievous, a look Roy recalled well from Edward's younger days. He waited, a little on edge, for Edward's response as a slow, sideways smirk stealthily spread from a corner of Edward's mouth to his eyes.

"I don't like the thought of taming you, either, Mustang."

Roy's eyebrows shot up, and he asked somewhat reservedly, "Should I start drinking?"

"No; it's more fun when you don't, if I remember right."

"You liked seeing me angry?"

"Are you kidding?" Edward asked incredulously. "Getting you angry was the only entertainment I ever got at the office!"

"…You got me angry on purpose?" he said, his voice dangerously low.

"Mmhmm!" Edward affirmed proudly. "Did a good job, didn't I?"

For a moment, Roy appeared angry, but then his devilishly heart-stopping grin found his face for the first time in years, and he felt the cocky thrill of a new challenge against another blown up ego well up within him like a savory poison. In a voice that only a select handful of attractive women knew, he said, "Well, I can see this is going to be interesting. We'll just have to see who tames the other."

"You're on, General."

Roy had never felt so young in his life.

Edward's face gentled as he regained his maturity, and in a soft voice he said, "Well, I'd better get going; I hadn't planned on staying long."

Roy's expression softened, too. "You should at some point; it's nice getting to know you aside from work. You've really become a fine gentleman."

Edward shyly turned his head to the side. "I will. How's next Sunday at about this time?"

"Sounds great. I'll escort you out."

The two walked to the front door, and as Roy opened it, Edward turned to him, a sad look in his eyes. He said, "Forgive me for this, sir." The next thing Roy knew, Edward had him wrapped in a hug. Roy returned the favor more gingerly as Edward murmured, "It's really good to see you again."

Once he let go, he ducked away and walked briskly to his car, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. He left Roy standing in the doorway, a distorted half-smile on his face as he tried to figure out if he was creeped out or happy. Eventually he closed the door, shaking his head, and he retired to his newspaper, suddenly discovering that Amestrian politics were not so fascinating to him anymore.


	2. Chapter 2: Poisoned Breath

On Monday morning, Edward quietly knocked on the door to Roy's office. A polite invitation inside and a few steps had Edward standing before his superior's desk, saluting.

"Major Edward Elric reporting for duty, sir!" he bellowed somewhat proudly, causing Roy to jump and stare at Edward in shock, finally noticing him since he walked in.

"Ed—ward…? Since when do you enter my office so quietly?"

Still saluting, Edward responded, "Since now. You'll see the effect it'll have on you after a while."

"What's going to happen to me?" Roy asked warily.

"Like I said: you'll see."

Roy studied him cautiously before sighing and slumping his shoulders slightly, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. He leaned backward in his chair and opened a drawer to pull out a thick file which he presented to Edward.

"I think you might like these," Roy said. "This kid in Xenotime is training to become a state alchemist, and he was hoping to improve a few alchemical arrays of his. He sent full reports with each array, describing what he hopes to accomplish with each one and what's gone wrong in his experiments."

"Wow," Edward said, surprised. "Why did _I_ get them instead of another more experienced alchemist?"

"Don't sell yourself short, Ed; these were specifically mailed to you. There was a letter attached on the outside for me to read."

Edward took the folder, oblivious to the "short" jest. Then his eyes widened, and he gasped. Shock turned to a smile as he explained, "They're from Russell!" Roy smiled but said nothing. "When are these due?"

"Try to aim for fixing two a day, and include reports that explain the errors. I'd say have them in by the end of next week. If you need to test a few of them out, you can use Lab 2 in the basement; there are plenty of plants down there. But I don't doubt your knowledge, so I'm not requiring experimental data."

"Thank you, sir! I'll finish these as quickly as possible."

"Don't thank me; thank Mr. Tringham. Dismissed, Fullmetal."

Edward half-ran to the library, pleased to find it at least mostly restocked since the fire, and grabbed a generous stack of books on herbology and herbal alchemy for his guides. He found a private corner in the back and sat down, pulling the papers and journal out of the file folder. On top of the stack, he found a piece of notebook paper folded in thirds. He opened it, and it read:

_Dear Edward Elric,_

_ I heard the news that you were back in Central and was eager to re-establish contact. Fletcher asks about Alphonse all the time; he heard he'd gotten his body back and has been begging me ever since to arrange a visit._

_We are busy at work here in Xenotime; no one has been ill since your last visit here… well, not from red water poisoning, anyway. Instead, we've accepted work at the clinic here and now see more normal illnesses which we treat using herbal alchemy. Fletcher and I make medicines in vast quantities and ship a portion of them to a few different hospitals for money, and we are looking for more efficient ways of creating them. Also, a few new illnesses have shown up in our town, and we are struggling to find cures though we know we are close._

_This is why I've come to you for help. I'm assuming that the arrays I've sent you are exactly what we need save for a few tweaks. I detailed the illnesses and the markings of the arrays as they apply to a cure based on what we've learned about curing illnesses with similar symptoms._

_Any help is appreciated, and I'll use whatever notes you send me to study until I feel ready to take the State Alchemy Exam. I know that only by that path will I obtain access to the knowledge I crave, not much different from you yourself. And I thoroughly encourage you to come out to Xenotime with your brother; you both would love to see how healthy our town is now._

_Your friend and alternate identity,_

_Russell Tringham_

Edward smiled fondly as he read the note, carefully folding it once he'd finished. He placed it in his jacket pocket to take home to Alphonse. Then he returned to the library shelves to find a few medicine books and began his work diligently.

Some five hours later, Roy startled him with a tap on the shoulder.

"Hey, Ed, I wanted to make sure you didn't miss your lunch break; I figured you'd study right through it."

"Oh… right, I forgot. Guess I lost track of time."

"I assume the assignment is going well, then?"

"Yeah, the research Russell and Fletcher have been doing is pretty interesting. They use herbal alchemy to cure diseases. I can see where they have a few things missing, though."

"How many arrays have you gotten through?"

"Well, I've fixed three of them and made a few notes, but I still have to turn the notes into a report."

Roy's jaw dropped. "You've fixed three already? You're only about halfway through the work day."

Edward grinned, revealing perfectly white teeth. "I guess this kind of work is my forte. I got in a good habit of double-checking my work when I studied with Izumi, and we spent a fair amount of time on correction. You know, the study of fine lines."

Roy shook his head in disbelief. "If you finish these by Wednesday evening, I'll add an extra week of leave to your name."

"Let's make it a bet, General."

"I don't think so. But keep in mind that if these aren't finished by the original due date, you'll lose three days of leave, just long enough for a little automail maintenance."

"Psh! I'm not worried about that! Let's go to lunch."

They sat at lunch together every day following, and Edward stuck around as Roy closed up everything for the evening. They found agreeable company with each other, reflecting on old missions and memories of their childhood. Edward continued his work on Russell's arrays and had them finished by Wednesday morning, and with the extra time he had awaiting either a mission or some other assignment, he found himself assisting Roy with some of his paperwork. Most of the papers that week had been recruit applications, but on Friday afternoon, a new file caught Edward's eye.

"What do you think of this Marcus Slater guy? He's an okay shot with a handgun… and he's thin. Won't slow us down… But on the other hand, I'm worried about him having been in juvenile hall…"

"Hey Mustang, what's this?" Edward asked, holding up a file labeled "Weapon Research".

"Oh, that's from Eastern Headquarters. They've been aggressively pursuing the creation of new weapons for several months now. Supposedly they've stumbled upon one discovery that led to another, and now they're sending their research to Central for approval."

"Are we about to be at war?"

"Not that I know of. Like I said, they think they've gotten lucky with something potentially useful. Or at least, that's the story I'm getting by phone."

Edward looked at the title forlornly and said, "Germany became aggressive with technological research, too, during the war. They upgraded weaponry and fighting styles… I just hope the things they found are never found in this world. It might be too late for the people there…"

"Every world progresses, Edward. It's a way of life."

Edward was silent for a moment before he turned his gaze back to Roy. "May I?" he asked, holding up the folder.

Roy sighed and thought a moment before he replied, "Sure, go ahead. Just understand that this is confidential and must be kept between you and me unless I decide otherwise."

"I understand," Edward said solemnly, carefully opening the folder and pulling out the documents inside. He found a letter with the contents and set it aside, eagerly absorbing the text of the first page. He found that the pages were not formal reports but rather journal entries scribbled in manic handwriting.

_Name: Lachrymatory Agent_

_ Formula: includes carbon or oxygen combined chemically with bromine or chlorine_

_ Discovery: lab accident followed up by further experiments_

_ Color: none_

_ Odor: none_

_ Action: irritates mucous membranes of eyes, nose, mouth, lungs_

_ Effect: causes tearing and pain in eyes and temporary blindness; can cause sneezing and coughing_

Edward disbelievingly moved on to the next page.

_Name: Phosgene_

_ Formula: COCl2_

_ Discovery: mixture of carbon monoxide and chlorine exposed to sunlight_

_ Color: none_

_ Odor: hay or grass_

_ Action: attacks proteins in pulmonary alveoli_

_ Effect: suffocation_

Again, he turned the page.

_Name: Bertholite_

_ Formula: Cl2_

_ Discovery: evaporation of hydrochloric acid and separation of the gases_

_ Color: yellow-green_

_ Odor: black pepper and pineapple_

_ Action: reacts with water in mucous in lungs to form hydrochloric acid_

_ Effect: scorching of wet surfaces; suffocation_

Edward's face got redder with every word he read. It was only with shaky hands and sheer willpower that he was able to turn to the last item.

_Name: Sulfur Mustard_

_ Formula: (ClCH2CH2)2S_

_ Discovery: treated sulfur dichloride with ethylene_

_ Color: yellow-brown_

_ Odor: mustard plants; horseradish_

_ Action: eliminates chloride ion and forms sulfonium ion which alkylates guanine in DNA_

_ Effect: large, painful blisters filled with yellow fluid; pulmonary edema_

"Edward, what's wrong?" Roy asked, alarmed.

"Who conducted this research?" Edward ground out.

"I don't know that yet. Why? What's wrong with it?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong… I recognize every single item listed in these papers. Their formulas would have been enough, but the descriptions…" he trailed off, burying his face in his hands.

"Edward, talk to me. What do you know?"

Edward inhaled sharply enough that it sounded like a hiss. "These were the poisonous gases used… t-to wipe out mass amounts of innocent people… during World War I."

"So they were deadly," Roy stated.

Edward nodded stiffly and with great effort sat up and looked at Roy. The look in his eyes made Roy hold his breath; there was an immense amount of pain burning there mixed with a hint of ghastly fear and enough age and tales of horror to outlive even Hohenheim. Roy did not know how someone of such depth could still be sane. But whatever molten fire it was that burned Edward away from the inside, it was enough that Roy knew he'd better trust Edward's judgment of this particular research no matter what advantage this cost the military.

"Roy… these gases are known to cause unbearable pain. The first one, that lachrymatory agent, was also known as tear gas. It burns people's eyes and makes them blind for a while, and it's the mildest of the four."

Roy gulped nervously. "What do the others do?"

"Phosgene targets the lungs and causes suffocation, as does bertholite, or quite simply chlorine. The way chlorine does it is different, though. It reacts with the water in mucous and forms hydrochloric acid, burning people from the inside out. And the last one, sulfur mustard, also known as mustard gas, is the worst of all of them. It's soluble in fat, so it soaks through skin easily and causes first and second degree chemical burns that turn into painful blisters. Get one of those in your lungs, and your lungs fill with fluid, eventually drowning you."

"God that's horrible…"

"You have to do whatever you can to prevent this research from being pursued. It's inhumane, and it'll end up wiping out our whole country."

"But wouldn't it be better to have this in the hands of our military rather than someone reckless?"

"No; it needs to be destroyed."

"That's too rash, Ed. Did this letter go with it? Maybe it details the intent."

"Yeah, it did. But you and I both know what's happened in the military before. None of the generals were in control of anything. It didn't matter what they did or said. The homunculi still managed to get somebody to create a philosopher's stone at the cost of hundreds of lives!"

"So what's your point, Fullmetal?"

"My point is that no matter what that letter says, someone in the military can still develop these substances and kill a bunch of people."

"Well, let me read this, and we'll spend some time figuring out the best solution." Upon seeing Edward's furious scowl, he added, "I trust what you're telling me, and I don't want to see this pulled out in warfare either. But the best solution may not be what you're thinking." And he began reading the letter.

Edward, impatient after a couple of minutes, prompted, "What does it say?"

"It's an official letter from the head of Eastern HQ stating that he and a few of his trusted associates see great war potential in the work of Drey Brock, an informal research scientist who has his master's degree in both chemistry and biology and aspires to assist the military with the development and improvement of weapons and war materials. They've sent his research here to gain approval and funding for the production of gas bombs to be kept on standby for use only during serious warfare."

Edward snorted with disgust. "All warfare is serious, Mustang. They could find an excuse to release a bomb if so much as another skirmish with Creta broke out!"

"No, we don't use the term 'serious warfare' loosely. Serious warfare refers specifically to a war not formally declared, such as a terrorist attack, in which civilians are involved, whether as casualties or military aid. With the term on a printed document, Eastern HQ could be shut down for using one of those bombs in formal warfare."

"They could stage a civilian injury and blame it on whoever they wanted."

"Ugh, what are you, some kind of pessimistic manipulator? Let's talk about this later."

"Look, I'm just trying to bring up the worst case scenario. You can't ignore that, Mustang."

"Edward, it's 5:50, and I haven't even started taking evening attendance. You know how much I have to get done."

"Don't worry; I'll stick around again tonight and help you out."

"If that's the case, you know where to go."

"Yeah, yeah, check the labs for broken equipment, library for books not put away, cafeteria for the janitor's presence, etcetera… All housemaid stuff, right?"

Roy smiled at his subordinate for no particular reason and responded, "Right. Can't wait for the new cadets to come in so that they can handle this stuff."

"I don't mind the work; it means I get to hang out with you afterward," Edward conveyed, smiling warmly. "By the way, it's Friday night. Do you have plans?"

"No."

"How about I buy you a drink? I know a bar that carries a good scotch."

"And what? Have you pester me in public?"

"I won't mention the research at all. If you want, we can talk about that Marcus guy."

"I don't want to talk about him, either."

Edward blew his bangs out of his face and crossed his arms. "So hard to please. I know you're irritated because of me, so you might as well accept the drink. I know you're craving it," he teased playfully.

He won a tired smile from Roy, who exhaled his frustration and said, "Alright, fine. You still planning on bothering me on Sunday, too?"

"You can count on it!" Edward sang cheerily, throwing him a sloppy salute before turning on his heel to start the evening chores, smiling and humming like an idiot.

Roy tried to fight away the goofy grin from his own face, but something about Edward's surprising change in demeanor was infectious. When he took evening attendance, several of his subordinates asked him what was so funny and received no answer. He laughed when he restacked the papers on his desk and was in such a hysteric mode that he stumbled over his small trashcan, which of course made him laugh harder. Little mundane tasks had never breezed by so quickly for him, and in what seemed like mere moments he was standing by the main door, keys in hand, waiting for Edward.

And he was still smiling.


	3. Chapter 3: Outpost Incident

"So Amestris has stayed peaceful since I left?"

"Mmhmm. Well, I mean, we still have our skirmishes with some of our neighbors, but without any homunculi hunting a philosopher's stone, the deaths have been very few."

"That's good to hear."

Roy smiled knowingly, remembering how much of a relief it was when he killed Pride and realized that the corruption of the military would be over, at least for a while. Edward was just now sensing that relief and found himself, for the second or third time, living in a new country. A world with homunculi had been no world at all, but rather a lucid nightmare, a living hell. In comparison to battling regenerating super-humans, any other conflict was merely a cake walk.

"So how do you feel about Haruko being president of the new assembly?" Edward asked.

Roy sighed with frustration at the thought and paused a moment before he answered. "I guess it's not so bad. He isn't so… against me anymore. I think that was really due to my questioning of Bradley's actions since he was very loyal to him at the time. There's still a bit of tension between us, but I'd take that over a million deaths any day."

"Amen to that!" Edward agreed, lazily lifting his beer in a toast before taking another drink. "But hey, he can't hate you too much if he gave you back your position as a general, right? _And_ he gave you back your subordinates."

"That's very true."

"What was it like being enlisted?"

"Cold," Roy said, remembering the icy, northern outpost he'd been stationed in. "And lonely." He sighed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "I had given up alchemy, and I had nothing but sins and memories to haunt me. I didn't have any inspiration to try to be great anymore."

"What… got you back on your feet, then?"

"You did," he said heavily, turning his face to the young man slouched in his armchair with a beer dangling from his automail hand.

For the longest time, Edward couldn't say anything, so profound was his shock. He took in the image of his well-shaven superior, so strong and dependable in stature. He saw calmness and bravery, and he knew the depth of his care for the people who worked for him and of his undying patriotism to his country. He reflected on the fact that Roy had never exposed his dark past, a secret which could have caused him unspeakable trouble, taking a risk for him that could have caused the fuehrer to doubt his integrity. He remembered that if it hadn't been for Roy, he wouldn't have gotten the chance to take the State Alchemy Exam at so young an age.

Edward could not imagine so solid a figure, one who had looked after him for the most important years of his life, needing inspiration from anyone, especially not him. He had just been some unsuccessful, punk kid who slowed him down and caused inconceivable amounts of collateral damage, earning Roy some choice words from his own superiors. Roy had suffered because of him, and here he was saying that at the lowest point in his life, Edward was the one who brought him back to consciousness.

Finally deciding this was the most appalling thing he'd ever heard, he demanded, "Why me?"

"Do you remember when you came back through the gate and brought all of those flying machines with you?"

"Yeah…?" Edward said uncertainly.

"You gave me a reason to use alchemy again. I hadn't felt so alive in years."

"So it took a surprise attack with airplanes and armored soldiers to make you feel alive?"

"No, Ed; it took seeing _you_ alive to bring me back."

"But… but I just… I don't get it. Why _me_?"

"You don't realize how important you are to me, do you?"

"No, I don't, because as far as I know, I tormented you."

Roy laughed softly at Edward's horrified expression. "You made life exciting. All of the destruction, the tantrums, and overall just the bizarre solutions you came up with, like in Youswell when you made false gold and 'gifted' it in exchange for the mining deeds. I never knew what to expect. You were the fire I couldn't control."

Edward's eyes gentled as that set in. Speaking softly, he said, "I get it now… why you don't want to tame me. You_ like_ chaos."

Roy nodded once, slowly, a gesture of respect. "You weren't the burden on me that you thought you were."

Edward struggled to think of something to say, eventually coming up with nothing. Instead, he set his beer on the table and sat down next to Roy on the sofa, wrapping his arms around him and muttering into his shoulder, "You crazy bastard." Roy returned the hug for real this time, grateful to have Edward there in his house and not a world away. When they pulled apart, Edward asked him, "So you thought I was dead, huh?"

"For the most part. But there was still a fragment of my conscience nagging me, telling me you were still alive. That piece of me kept flickering when your brother would call me to ask about you. He wanted me to tell him everything I remembered, so I had to work at being positive, reliving the memories of you living. He didn't call more than once a week, but it was enough. So I waited."

"I'm sorry I caused you so much stress. I had no idea—"

"Edward, honestly, what could you have done except for what you did to get home? You have nothing to feel bad about."

"Yeah, I do, actually. I left two very important people behind."

"In the midst of Hitler's campaign, you mean?"

"Yeah. Alfons Heidrich and Noah. Noah was a gypsy, and the common people highly suspected gypsies of thievery. She wanted to come here with me so that she wouldn't be discriminated against. And Alfons… had I shown him that I cared about his world, too, he might've listened to me and quit designing rockets for Rudolf Hess."

"Was Hess on Hitler's side?"

"That's hard to say. My concern with Hess was that he represented the Thule Society; they're the people who flew in and attacked our world."

"But if they hadn't had rockets, you wouldn't be here."

"I know, but the thing is, Alfons was dying from tuberculosis. It's a disease that makes people cough up blood, like Teacher did. Alfons was a passive person, and the only reason he wanted to design rockets was so that he could see what was beyond the world's atmosphere, not what was beyond the gate. He wanted to put his mark on the world by exposing the wonders of the space beyond, not by assisting an other-worldy warfare."

"So you think his mark is tainted with bloodshed now, right?"

"Yeah. He deserved better than that."

Roy quietly huffed a breath and rested his hands on his knees. "When are you ever going to see that you deserve to be happy, too? You can't save everyone. I know you want to, but this is the world you live in now. We need you here."

"Honestly, Mustang, I'm such a small part of this world. When I'm gone, it'll keep moving. Teacher taught me that a long time ago."

"Maybe to the rest of this world, you're just another person, but to a few of us, you _are_ the world. And when you disappeared, our worlds stopped spinning. Why can't you see that you're important to some people, and that that importance means you deserve happiness? Your journey is over, Ed. All evidence of the philosopher's stone has been erased, and no one is hunting for it. Your brother has his body back, and you seem to be fine with yours the way it is. You've already been to hell and back, so you're fully forgiven for the human transmutation you attempted out of love. What more do you need?"

"That," Edward said, smiling. "Someone who can talk some sense into me once in a while."

"Oh, great. So now what do I have to do, adopt you?"

"That's what I asked, isn't it? To be an indispensible subordinate?"

"Ugh, you tricked me."

"Yeah? Well, it's payback for all the times you tricked me."

"Psh… I never tricked you."

"Uh huh… sure you didn't," Edward drawled sarcastically.

"Maybe once or twice…"

"Or, you know, a hundred or so times."

"But how do harmless tricks for a few years ever amount to tricking someone into parenthood?"

"Woah, hey, I'm not calling you 'dad'!"

"I would never call you 'son' either; that'd just be weird."

"What about Hawkeye? Are you gonna call her 'daughter'?"

"Oh, God, no!"

"Ugh… let's drink." They both turned their bottles up for a long swig. "Alright, I feel better," Edward said, running a hand through his hair.

"You know, there's something that happened recently in our country that I forgot to mention."

"What's that?"

"Eastern Headquarters named it the 'Outpost Incident'. A small handful of power-hungry soldiers had set up an outpost right outside of Ishbal and stocked it with guns and ammunition. They had been against the restoration of their homeland from day one, but oddly enough no one ordered that a close eye be kept on them. One night the outpost opened fire from their station, killing eight Ishbalans before a young man was able to radio for help from the call booth we'd had installed. Only a few other people were injured before the military arrived from East City and imprisoned the offenders, who were still huddled in their outpost."

"God, what's wrong with people? Ishbalans are peaceful, and they deserve their homeland just as much as we deserve ours. Why does anyone want to destroy that?"

"I don't get it, either." Roy sighed, shaking his head. "What gets me is why the military agreed to let those particular people set up an outpost that close to Ishbal. They never could've had good intentions."

"Who authorized it? I know that East HQ wouldn't have if they knew the soldiers."

"These guys snuck off to Southern Headquarters and got approval that way. No one would know them there, considering their low ranks."

"Was anyone from South HQ reprimanded for it?"

"They weren't really reprimanded so much as they were made babysitters."

"So the prisoners went there?"

"Mmhmm."

"That's… a little odd, though. I would think East HQ would want to watch over the guys themselves."

"Yeah, really, what's up with that? We've always taken responsibility for our own men."

"Do you think… that maybe there's something going on?"

"Like what?"

"Like… I dunno, something big, something we just can't see yet?"

"Well, this was just one incident. I haven't noticed any other suspicious activity. In the past couple weeks, two Ishbalan families headed east, toward Xing, but that's probably because they didn't feel safe here."

"But like you said, it was just one incident. Would that really be enough to drive anyone out and away from their own people? Especially considering that our nation has been fairly peaceful since the overthrowing of the homunculi?"

"Hmm… I suppose you're right about that. You know, there's something else that's strange; our border guards at the southeast never reported any Ishbalans leaving, and they're strict about keeping track. It's kinda like they were sneaking out but left a message with their people that they were leaving..."

"Or they were snuck out," Edward said a bit harshly, causing Roy to snap his head his direction. "You have to go through the East Desert to get to Xing, right?"

"Yes," Roy said pensively, seeing where Edward was going with this. "There's nothing out there for miles."

"Roy… I think we've got a military conspiracy on our hands."

"It's possible, but we don't have enough evidence to do anything about it now. All we can do is wait for more reports. If more families leave, we might have a reason to go out there ourselves and observe firsthand what's happening."

"Then we need to get information directly from Ishbal since the border guards aren't on it. But what would we do if we had to go out there? If we showed up, someone might recognize us, and whoever's in charge could hide what they were doing."

The newfound concentration on Roy's face was enough to keep Edward quiet. Thin eyebrows were furrowed, a pale forefinger and thumb braced his chin, and onyx eyes were aflame with thought. That face was a face of war, and behind it was forming a plan of genius. When Roy finally spoke again, he spoke with determination, and he said, "Fullmetal, I have a plan."

Edward could feel a combination of things: pride, courage, fear, and trust, welling up in him, and he knew immediately that Roy felt, as much as he did, that they were about to get involved in something big. The instincts and posture of a soldier ensconced him, and with a serious demeanor, he responded, "I'm all ears, sir."


	4. Chapter 4: Breakthrough

Within a few days, Roy had turned his home into a private military base, establishing contact with Rick and Leo upon Edward's word that they were trustworthy, telling them to inform him of all Ishbalan activity. He filled Riza in on his plan, and without the slightest hesitation she agreed to go with them and take care of tinder and food provisions. He borrowed three low-ranked military outfits and bought three different colors of hair dye and contact lenses. He prepared a few guns and ammunition which he put, along with the rest of his collected items, in a spare trunk he'd found in his basement, locking it with a key that he tucked underneath his bedside lamp.

The last part of his plan was to wait. Upon notice of the sighting of military personnel or of another family leaving, a chain reaction would be triggered. Roy would book transportation to Ishbal for three people and one canine, and he would tell Leo when they were expected to arrive so that two horses, one saddled for Riza and the other hitched to a cart, would be awaiting them. From there, they would either occupy the old outpost or set up tents on the ground. Roy would pose as a sergeant and Riza and Edward as privates. Riza would also serve as a scout, so they would keep the horse she rode in on and set up a hitching post. Then if they saw other soldiers, they would tag along as part of their operation until they figured out what was going on.

The wait was agonizing. Edward was constantly in Roy's office, raring to go and hardly suppressing his temper. Roy was trying to be patient and understanding, but he, too, could no longer view the office work as anything other than a waste of time. Both men had every muscle tensed in anticipation, enough that even Edward's stumps began to ache with the effort of staying still and preventing his hand from grinding his pen through his desk whenever he _was_ doing work. Roy began falling victim to intense migraines. His ears would ring, and his eyes would reject light as though it were liquid fire. Aspirin became a notable monument on his desk as well as another reason for Edward to come to his office.

"Can't you buy your own medicine?" Roy growled at him one afternoon as Edward made all the pills rattle inside the bottle to retrieve a single one.

"I could, but I'd still end up bugging you the same," Edward said tiredly.

"God, I want some scotch…"

"Oh, yeah, get a hangover; that'd make you feel better."

"It would, actually. _Anything_ would be better than this…"

The only relief they found was on their continued Sunday visits. After they'd had an entire Saturday to clear their heads of their mission and get over their office hostility, they were ready to talk about anything and everything of warm companionship. Riza even came over and brought Black Hayate with her. She excused Hayate's visits as a way to get him used to the guys before their mission, but Roy didn't mind the dog's presence in the least. In fact, he was overjoyed to see him. He would wrestle with him on the floor, one instance in which he banged his head against the coffee table, leaving him rolling around in agony and causing Edward to spew his beer across the room for the fit of hysterics that seized him. Riza had rolled her eyes, but she was still laughing in her own quiet way.

A few weeks passed before they received their big break. Leo informed Roy that he saw three military officers escorting a family eastward in the middle of the night. He also mentioned that by morning they did not appear to have returned, a detail that sent a sickening chill down Roy's spine. Upon questioning Leo a little, Roy found that the family had been held at gunpoint from behind. Things were really getting strange.

When Edward heard the news, he fell on his knees in shock. Roy had to lean over his desk to look at him. Riza had already placed a reassuring hand on Edward's shoulder.

"Hey. Edward," Roy said. "I know it's hard to hear, but don't forget what we said we'd do about it. This means we can finally go and stop this before things get bad."

"No…" Edward said tensely. "Thinking… why…" Then suddenly his eyes widened in realization, and his expression was pained, horrified. Ripping free of Riza's hand, he leapt onto Roy's desk, landing on his knees. He latched onto Roy's shirt, clenching his fists until it ached, and like a madman, he began ranting in a desperate need to communicate. "I know why… full families… disappearing… the military… the research… they're poisoned… just test subjects… how else could they know…?"

"Edward, you're not making sense," Roy stated while trying to pry his hands free of his shirt. "What are you thinking, in plain English?"

Edward took a ragged breath and let go, falling forward and supporting his hands on his knees. "The weapon research… about the poison gas. I think the military's… testing it… on the Ishbalan families. That scientist… how else could he know the effects?"

Riza spoke up. "That's a big assumption to make. Can you back it up?"

"The research came from the East not long after the Outpost Incident, which was also an issue of soldiers from East HQ. Since the headquarters of one area can't approve of their own research, it was sent here for approval and funding after several months of work on it. We rejected it, but they could've gone somewhere else. Considering that South HQ approved the plan of East HQ soldiers, the ones who caused the OI, I think East HQ would've sent the research there, considering how much potential they saw in it. And if South HQ approved it, they could be testing it now. And those families that disappeared so conveniently after the OI were probably just part of the discovery of the poison gases' harmful effects. There could be a gas chamber out in the East Desert that they're using…"

"So you think now that the weapon research and the disappearance of Ishbalan families is some Eastern Headquarters conspiracy?" Roy asked, anger punctuating his tone at the thought.

"I think South HQ is in on it, too," Edward suggested sadly. "I mean, think about it. East and South HQ pinch in on Ishbal just by their locations alone. It wouldn't be difficult for them to work together on this."

An insecure silence took hold of the room for a time. The two men furiously pondered the possibilities of the situation, unable to find anything other than the undeniable connection among the Outpost Incident, the weapon research, and the actions of Eastern and Southern Headquarters. Edward had been right all along, knowing that something big was about to happen, and for the worst. But none of them could have suspected that two fifths of their military would be involved in such a cruel case of genocide.

"How do our plans change now, sir?" Riza asked.

"We'll need more men involved," Roy responded. "I'm going to inform all of my subordinates of our mission and leave them on call here for when we need backup. I'll need you to speak to Fuery about setting up a private radio wave station and a portable transmitter for us to take so that we can stay in communication."

"But sir, if we end up against two headquarters, we're going to need more than four men."

"You're right. I suppose I'll leave all the documents we have on the weapon research and the Outpost Incident with Falman. If we need him to, he can take them to President Hakuro since he and the assembly control warfare."

"Why don't we present our information to him now?" Edward butted in.

"Because we still have to witness firsthand what we believe is going on. If we have facts, Hakuro will be on our side," Roy said simply. "But with only suspicions, he may even suspend our mission, and we don't want that to happen."

"Always having to dance around a touchy personnel. Why does the military hafta be so screwed up? If we ran on common sense, we'd get a lot more done."

Roy huffed a breath but still smiled at the fact that Edward could still complain about the military in such a dire situation. "Edward, did you know that the world spins on a tilted axis just doing the best it can?"

Edward's head snapped his way, the expression on his face unreadable. "Yeah, my dad told me that one."

"You may as well accept that the world is going to be imperfect. We've got something more important to deal with right now."

A pause. Then Edward hummed a sigh through his nose. "Let's get going, then."

"Alright." Roy sat up straighter. "Hawkeye, tell my subordinates to come to my office at once."

"Right away, sir," she said, saluting and exiting.

"And Fullmetal, these are the documents we need," he said, pulling them out of a drawer. "Organize them." Edward took the documents dutifully. "I'm going to arrange our transportation while we're waiting, so don't think I'm not doing anything."

"Now why would I think that?" Edward said aloud, though more to himself than to Roy. Roy rolled his eyes as he picked up the phone and began dialing. Edward found the sound of his voice rather soothing, hearing the calm, practiced confidence he'd been missing for the past few weeks. Finally he felt a bit of relief, knowing that he was going somewhere on a real mission; he'd thought his exciting days of the military completely over since he no longer had anything to search for, and he was still itching for action behind his calmer adult frame. He could already feel adrenaline beginning to pulse through him as he refreshed himself on the papers' contents. A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, not escaping Roy's notice, who mirrored the action even as he spoke. And when at last he hung up from his final call, he asked what he was smiling about, merely receiving a shrug and a hum before he was cut off by the arrival of his subordinates.

After being jostled most uncomfortably by the roughness of the road in the Elrics' old car, it was no wonder that even Riza sighed with relief as it crawled its final steps to the Central train station. Edward was the first one out, stretching hugely with hopes of alleviating the stiff plank of a posture he'd learned to brace against the way his car, in particular, moved. Roy and Vato groaned audibly upon standing, which earned a smirk from Edward.

"What's the matter, you two? Can't handle fifteen minutes in the Rocky Roadster?" he asked.

"Ugh, that was only fifteen minutes? It felt like hours," Roy grumbled.

"Actually, sir, I believe it was _seventeen_ minutes," Vato affirmed.

"Lighten up, Falman," came the irritated reply. "And don't call me 'sir'; I'm a sergeant, remember?"

Alphonse fidgeted nervously with the car keys but pocketed them as he approached his brother. The look in his eyes held Edward still and solemn as he reached out to hold a brown tendril of Edward's hair in his fingers, averting his gaze to study it with pained understanding.

"You're doing something dangerous, aren't you?" he almost whispered, though somehow his words caught the attention of the other three military officers. Roy was surprised that Alphonse didn't know what was going on, but he admired Edward for respecting confidentiality.

A new, subdued smile found its way on Edward's lips as he responded seriously, "Yeah, this is a pretty big deal."

Alphonse let go of the lock of hair and searched questioningly at his smile before he understood, returning the expression genuinely and saying affectionately, "You maniac…"

Edward found himself wrapped up in his little brother's arms, and he hugged him back warmly, closing his eyes and digging his chin into Alphonse's shoulder. He knew he was risking his life by going on this mission, but he was excited about it and wanted his brother to understand that he wasn't going against his will. He wanted him to know just in case he didn't come home.

But he was determined to live for his brother, and when Edward was determined, he usually got what he wanted.

"I love you, brother," Alphonse said suddenly, quietly so that he wouldn't ruin his brother's cover.

"I love you, too, Alphonse." When they leaned apart, Edward put his hands on Alphonse's shoulders and said, "Take care of Mishka for me."

"But you hate that cat."

"Well, when she's not trying to sleep on my face or eat my food off the counter where she's not supposed to be in the first place, she's actually not that bad."

"That means she likes you, you know, when she sleeps on you."

"Right, sure," Edward said sardonically, rolling his eyes for effect. "How could suffocation be anything other than affection? But anyway, in all seriousness, you love her, so I do, too."

Then Alphonse giggled and got an amused look on his face. "So even if, for some odd reason beyond understanding, I loved your boss…?"

Edward blushed furiously at the thought, but upon considering his situation, he swallowed his pride and decided to play along, just for his brother. He turned to face Roy and, putting a hand on his heart, he said, "Oh, absolutely. I would hold him ever so dear in my heart."

"Touching, really," Roy responded, seemingly unamused.

Edward snorted and chided, "Well, it seems like Blondie, here, is too dumb to have emotions."

"Don't forget your natural roots, Private."

"Hey, I've got news for ya; my roots are _golden_, ya know, like royalty? You're just bleach blonde."

Roy snickered. "You sounded rather effeminate just then."

"Shut up!"

"Brother…"

"I hate to interrupt all the fun, but it's time for your train to board. We still need to take a picture," Vato butted in.

"Right," Roy agreed. "We need this sign here in it for proof that we were in Central. Private Jones and Private Murphy, get over here now!"

"Yes, sir," Riza responded, taking her place beside him with Black Hayate sitting at her heels. Vato handed his camera to Alphonse and went to stand beside Riza. Edward moseyed over slowly, standing beside Roy. The four humans held a perfect salute, and the flash bulb went off.

"Thank you, Alphonse. Alright, you two, let's board," Roy said.

"Wait!" Alphonse shouted. "Do you have a moment for one of all of you just… being yourselves?"

Roy paused a moment and nodded. "Sure, we can fit one in."

Vato was clueless about the concept of a fun photo, so he remained standing straight. Riza rested her weight on one hip and crossed her arms in front of her chest. As for Roy and Edward, Roy latched him into a headlock, and upon discovering that he couldn't break loose, Edward crossed his arms and pouted, glaring daggers in the direction of Roy's trademark smirk. Riza had been looking at the camera until she noticed those two, upon whom she turned a weary sigh and a comical look of distress. Black Hayate stretched and opened his mouth in a big yawn. It was at that moment that Alphonse clicked the button.

"Wait a minute, we weren't ready yet!" Edward childishly whined.

Alphonse shrugged and innocently suggested, "Well, you guys are in a hurry, so I had to make it quick. Besides… I think it's a great photo."

"He's right; we need to board," Roy said, still proud of winning the headlock battle. "Your pride can suffer a little pinch once in a while, can't it, Mr. Jones?"

"No harm done, actually," Edward replied. "If Alphonse likes it, then I—"

"You like it. I know, I know. With the exception of me and… was it… milk?"

"Hey, the dumb blonde's catching on!"

"Did you ever consider that you might be insulting me as well?" Riza asked.

"Oh, right. Sorry about that."

"I'm just joking with you," she said, somehow making her green contacts dazzle with her smile.

Edward paused, contemplating. "You know, red hair's not actually a bad look for you. But this guy's dye… it's awful."

"Wait, you told me back at your place it looked okay," Roy said, a bit upset.

Edward rolled his eyes. "I told you that so you'd shut up and stop complaining."

"I knew blonde was a bad idea…"

"Oh, shut up; it looks fine."

"Liar."

"Let's just get on the train already!"

Alphonse's goodbye was lost in the midst of a "Stop pushing!" and a "You started it." He smiled and shook his head as the train doors closed behind the three imposters. Somehow, after witnessing a scene like that, it was harder for him to believe that today was anything beside an ordinary day. Regardless, he vowed to get his photo developed and framed as soon as possible, so if that ended up being the last moment he'd remember of his brother, he'd have it with him forever.

"Are you ready, Alphonse?" Vato asked.

"Yes, Mr. Falman. We can leave now."

They seated themselves in the car, and as they drove off, Alphonse glanced at his rearview mirror and saw the faint shadow of his brother leaning partially out of the train window, waving at him.


End file.
